Power cuts - emergency lighting

[DGRossetti]

Had a power cut on Saturday evening. Effect was lessened dramatically by having a few of these little PIR-activated stick-on/stick-up blue LED lights dotted around the place. 3-AAA batteries, and they were a lifesaver. Because they only work when it's dark, they're easy to forget when the mains lighting is on.

Definitely something people who like being prepared should have in place.

My fave tip is to have an empty 4 pint plastic bottle, fill it with water, get a head torch, wrap it around the filled bottle with the light pointing inwards. Diffuses light nicely.

We tend to do a lot of camping, so have a sort of split between solar charged lights and battery /crank operated lanterns.

Thats on top of a few snap and shake lights and torches (i often work nights).

While their much safer than the old paraffin lanterns i remember as a kid, i do miss the sound and heat from the Tilly lantern

Bellini that's brilliant! We had a power cut recently and I was placing mirrors next to candles to try and spread the light.

Do you have a link@DGRossetti for the sort of thing?

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074K9MQVF?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

(although if you are prepared to wait and use Wish or eBay, you can get multipacks cheaper ...)

For ceilings I'd advise popping a screw through the base.

I've used that water bottle and head torch combination before and it is surprisingly effective.

I have an Ikea solar light, which we keep forgetting to use generally but it is handy for power outtages.

And we have a lot of tealights, including a few battery ones, but putting 2/3 in front of a mirror gives a reasonable amount of basic light. But the real flame ones give more light. Grouping 2-4 candles or tealights together on a table or safely on a counter-top can be enough to show obstacles in a room and do basic cooking (make a sandwich, heat some soup) etc - but you may want more if you are reading or doing anything beyond basic prepping and cooking.

I forgot to say, if you are using real candles, make sure you have them:

• in proper holders or safely secured (well stuck down on a plate with melted wax etc) so they won't fall over;

• away from DCs or anyone messing with them;

• have someone always in the room where there are naked flames.